Habitat

• native to the Northern Hemisphere
• hardy to zone 2; does not perform well in warmer climates (zone 7 and higher)

Habit and Form

• a small, deciduous shrub
• dense shrub with numerous upright branches
• rounded habit
• 1' to 4' tall with an equal or greater spread
• fine texture
• slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• compound, pinnate leaves
• leaflets are elliptic and linear
• 3 to 7 leaflets per leaf
• medium blue-green to dark green leaf color
• plant leafs out in early Spring
• leaves are about 1" long

Autumn Foliage

• fall color is yellow-brown
• not ornamentally important

Flowers

• yellow, buttercup flowers
• blooms from June until the first frost
• about 1" to 1.5" in diameter

Fruit

• dry, brown achene
• not showy
• persist through winter

Bark

• not ornamentally important
• peeling bark

Culture

• easy to grow
• easily transplanted
• soil adaptable
• does well in extremely cold temperatures
• full sun is best
• to keep dense round habit, remove canes during winter or cut to ground

Landscape Use

• shrub borders
• foundation plant
• facer plant
• for flowers
• mass plantings

Liabilities

• somewhat difficult plant to keep looking tidy
• few pest problems
• spider mites
• does not like warm night temperatures

ID Features

• alternate leaf arrangement
• pinnately compound leaves with 3 to 7 leaflets
• yellow buttercup flowers June until frost
• persistent achene

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed
• by tissue culture

Cultivars/Varieties

Literally dozens of cultivars have been selected, mostly for variations in flower color. Presented below are abbreviated descriptions of a representative sampling of the most common forms.

'Abbotswood' - Considered one of the best, this low 3' form is disease-free and bears white blooms over a long period. 'Abbotswood Silver' is similar, but bears leaves variegated with white margins. 'McKay's White' is an alternative with creamy-white blooms that only grows 2.5" tall.

'Absaraka' (Dakota Goldrush®) and 'Fargo' (Dakota Sunspot®) - These two selections come out of North Dakota and feature larger yellow flowers that are produced over a long period on dwarf, compact rounded 3' plants.

'Coronation Triumph' - This 4' mounded form begins blooming early in the season and continues for a very long period with yellow blooms.

'Gold Drop' (also known as 'Farreri') - A classic cultivar that is still considered one of the best, this rounded 3' plant bears profuse yellow blooms all season.

'Goldfinger' - Common in the trade, this 3' mound bears large 1.5" yellow blooms over an extended period.

'Jackmannii' - A larger rounded selection, this classic form displays large deep yellow flowers all summer.

'Katherine Dykes' - An old selection, this form has a 2'-3' spreading-arching habit studded with light yellow blooms all summer.

'Longacre' and 'Yellow Gem' - Useful for their low, spreading groundcover habits, these two selections bear yellow blooms all season. 'Yellow Gem' has the added bonus of reddish young twigs and gray-green foliage.

'Pink Beauty' - A breakthough in this species, this plant bears clear pink blooms on a 2' rounded plant. In climates with warm summer nights, the flower color may not hold as well. 'Pink Pearl' and 'Pink Whisper' are two other pink-flowered forms, though the blooms may fade to yellow in warm climates.

'Primrose Beauty' - Producing light yellow blooms from late spring to frost, this 3' spreading plant is also notable for its silvery-gray foliage.

'Snowbird' - One of the few double-flowered cultivars available, this 3' upright form also has good lustrous foliage. The white double blooms may not show extra petals until the plant is established.

'Sunset' - Depending on exposure and climate, this newer 16" tall spreading form bears yellow blooms suffused with orange-reddish hues.

'Tangerine' - A color breakthough, this selection bears yellow flowers flushed with orange-copper. It is a mounded-spreading plant that grows to 2' tall and wider.